


Backseat Serenade

by The3rdTrumpeteer



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Appendicitis, Hurt/Comfort, Modern AU, based off a fic title prompt I received on tumblr, davey sings, just a little brotherly fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 19:07:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14879499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The3rdTrumpeteer/pseuds/The3rdTrumpeteer
Summary: Modern AU.Les has appendicitis.





	Backseat Serenade

They’re about halfway through the movie when Les yawns and his eyes slide shut. Davey smiles and eases his little brother’s head off his shoulder, putting a pillow under it instead and putting a blanket around the kid.

“Goodnight, Les,” he whispers before tiptoeing back to his bedroom and shutting the door. He likes when Les comes to visit for the weekends sometimes; since Davey’s been away at college, he hasn’t had many chances to see his brother or sister. Sarah’s at her own college, so they see each other only when they both have time.

Davey brushes his teeth and gets into bed. He’s taking Les to the water park tomorrow, the last weekend before it closes.

He doesn’t remember falling asleep, but suddenly he’s being shaken awake. Davey opens his eyes to see Les standing next to him, tears in his eyes.

“My stomach hurts,” Les whispers. He has his hands wrapped around his abdomen. “Really…really bad.”

“Okay.” Davey sits up and pulls Les into his lap, reaching for his phone where it’s charging on his bedside table. “It’ll be okay. Where exactly does it hurt?”

“Um…my right side.” Les whimpers when Davey softly touches the spot. “Yeah. Right there.”

“Shit,” Davey mutters. He glances at Les, whose eyes go wide at the word. “Sorry. No, it’s fine, Les. You’re gonna be okay.”

“Do you know what’s wrong?” Les looks worried, and that’s not what Davey wants right now. He needs to keep him calm.

“I think you might have appendicitis,” Davey replies. He gently lifts Les off his lap and onto the bed. “I’m gonna call an uber, okay?”

Les nods. Davey thinks he should probably call an ambulance instead, but all he knows right now is he doesn’t want Les to freak out any more than he already is. Besides, his stomach pains just started, right? An uber should be fine. And much less expensive.

Davey calls the uber. It should be to the apartment in…he checks. Ten minutes. He turns to Les. “We need to get you up.”

Les nods, but when Davey helps him off the bed, he cries out. “It hurts, Davey.”

“I know.” Davey grabs a blanket off the foot of his bed and wraps it around Les’ shoulders. Checks his phone. Eight minutes.

Together they shuffle out to the living room. Davey sets Les on the couch. Grabs his shoes from where they’re lying on the floor and slips them onto his little brother’s feet. Grabs his own shoes and wallet. Five minutes.

Les is still crying, and Davey wraps his arms around him. Four minutes.

“We have to get downstairs, okay?” He says. Les just nods.

Fortunately the elevator is actually working. Barely. It creaks down to the first floor in just under a minute. Davey keeps his hands on Les’ shoulders. Les keeps his arms wrapped tightly around his middle and winces with every step. Two and a half minutes.

They step outside. It’s not cold, but Davey can feel Les shivering. One minute.

Davey sighs in relief when he sees the headlights of the uber. It parks next to the curb and he pulls the door open. A kind-looking older lady named Neely is driving. She frowns at the tears that stain Les’ cheeks.

“What’s wrong, honey?” She asks. 

“My stomach hurts,” Les mumbles.

“I’m so sorry.” Neely glances at Davey. “We’ll be at the hospital before you know it.”

“Thank you.” Davey slides in beside Les and lets him rest his head in his lap, traffic laws be damned. Neely pulls onto the road.

“Hey, Davey?” Les whispers. His face is flushed. “Could you, um…tell me a story? Or…or sing? Could you sing?”

Davey almost never sings anymore, and especially not in front of people. But he can’t refuse Les now. So he nods.

“Every time I see the sunset,

I look for something more in it,

As if something will pop out to me right there.

The paper and the TV, 

Well, they all wanna save me.

They point me to the sunset, 

So I stare.”

Les’ eyes are closing, and Davey is glad for that. He glances up to see Neely smiling at him in the rear-view mirror. 

“Is anybody listening

To the song that I sing?

Does anyone even know who I am?

If I sing Hallejuiah

Right on up to ya,

Would your angels even give a damn?”

Les’ breathing has evened out; he’s actually asleep, which is pretty much a miracle at this point. Davey cards his fingers gently through his little brother’s hair.

“We’re here, honey,” Neely says. Davey looks up, and sure enough, they’re at the entrance of the hospital. He gathers Les up in his arms. Huh. He’s gotten heavier. Neely gets out of the car and opens the door so Davey can slide out.

“Thank you so much,” he says. Neely smiles and puts a hand briefly on Les’ cheek, wiping away the tears that are still there.

“Just get him the help he needs,” she replies. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Davey turns and walks through the front doors. He glances down at Les. He’s still asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: http://poorguysheadisdoingwhatnow.tumblr.com/


End file.
